Post APCC: Celebrating Geek Culture in a Global Scale

As I was sitting in attendance at this year's Asiapop Comicon's (APCC) Hall N (Netflix) there was something that "Castlevania" showrunner Adi Shankar said that resounded in me. 

Dressed in what was almost 'casual cosplay' with the infamous 'power glove' on his arm, he talks with such passion about a beloved video game resurrected into a medium for a new generation.  

He says: "-this (Castlevania) was the stuff that I got made fun of as a kid. You know what I mean? I couldn't walk around with a power glove when I was 16. I couldn't talk about anime and video games, that wasn't cool and now all of a sudden we live in a world where this is part of the collective culture, this is part of the consciousness and we're talking about a global mythology here, a shared understanding."   

and I know what he means, growing up, I too was made fun of for being a fan of anime, my group of friends ostracized because we weren't like "the cool kids". 

During our school fair we had a booth and sold Anime merchandise (we did for fun and not profit, we hardly made any money) and even held film screenings, (screening rights weren't that strict then). We even cosplayed as some of our favorite characters and this was back when cosplay wasn't even "cool" or acceptable. 

There were no conventions then and the internet was just in its infancy. 

Flash forward to a couple of decades later and we now have one of the biggest pop culture events in Asia, bringing renowned actors, artists and cosplayers, whom we've only admired from a far. And as if these years of consecutive success wasn't enough, APCC ups their game this year by providing exclusive, never before seen content from industry giants like Marvel, Disney and Netflix (Netflix really brought their A game though). With exclusive world trailers for Season 2 of Castlevania as well as the world trailer of Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle.  

Adi Shankar during the Netflix panel.
(c) PCheng Photography 

As if that wasn't enough, the first episode of the second season of Iron Fist was also premiered to the lucky fans in attendance. 

Adi Shankar says of these exclusive previews: 

"Trailers would drop, new stories would drop - but it would never happen in this part of the world. Alien invasion always happen in New York" he says, proving his point. 

With these worldwide premieres debuting in an event such as Asia Popcomicon, it just goes to show how celebrating Geek Culture is now on a Global Scale. That even our humble city of Manila can experience these exclusive sneak peeks. Going through comments on social media, I even came across one that said the Netflix panel in APCC was a lot better than the world renowned SDCC (San Diego Comicon).  

I think I will never get over how 'being a geek' can now be celebrated in prestigious events such as Asiapop Comicon. You get to meet and/or hang out with friends who share the same passion as you do. May it be through cosplay or through panels, or meeting your favorite comic artists or scoring those coveted merchandise. There is something for everybody and if the evolution of these events in the following years is any indication, I can say that we are in for bigger and better surprises in the years to come. 




***Apologies this write up is a bit delayed, the week after APCC is actually our Little Jedi's first birthday party and we were busy handling last minute preparations. I just hope that next year APCC and Luke's birthday won't be too close.*** 

Events: Nicholas Hoult Is A Big Fan of Stranger Things' Millie Bobby Brown

Nicholas Hoult and Millie Bobby Brown during AsiaPOP Comicon. 

Manila - August 2016. During the recently concluded AsisPOP Comicon British actor Nicholas Hoult gushed about being a fan of the twelve year old actress who took the world by storm in the Netflix series "Stranger Things" since its release last July.

"I haven't met her (Millie Bobby Brown) yet-" the twenty six year old actor said, blue eyes sparkling as he met with the local press for APCC. "She gave a wonderful performance (in "Stranger Things") "and I'm kind of  fanboy-ing over meeting her. I'm looking forward to that and I think I'll be line for her autograph as well 'coz she's fantastic in that show and I loved watching her so-yeah that's what I've been geeking out over recently. 

And Nicholas Hoult would know a thing or two about child actors, as he himself was one. He started acting at the age of seven and played the role of Marcus Brewer in the 2002 romantic comedy "About A Boy" alongside Hugh Grant.

In a separate event during APCC, which was open to the public, Hoult sat across radio personality Chico Garcia went to the topic of child actors by asking Nicholas. "(Nicholas) You started very early in your career. From "About A Boy" How has it been? A lot of child actors, they struggle a little with the transition but in your case it was relatively painless. How did you do it? For others, they really struggled a lot." 

Nicholas Hoult in "About A Boy" 

"Yeah, teenage years, are a pain for most people-"  Hoult responded. "I was lucky, whereby I stayed in school until I was 17 , so normal school, normal friends. I had a pretty normal life outside of work. And I got very lucky being cast in "Skins" the TV show. The crowd goes wild at this.

"A lot of 'Skins' fans-" Chico acknowledges, which is met by more screaming.

"Wasn't it a shock for a lot of people? Because you were this adorable kid in "About a Boy" and "Skins"" was a little edgier-a little scary. 

"Yeah-that's what I liked about it. You know, whenever reading a script or looking at some potential work., I like to do something that people don't really expect, or to do something different. I haven't done before." 

This was also tackled in the press junket when Hoult was asked: "Is it a conscious decision to take on unusual roles?" to which Hoult responded.

"Outside of working with great people and telling a good story, the aim for me is to play as much varied characters and styles of film, the stories that I tell - that's what my aim is. I would get bored if I played the same characters again and again. As much as you can transform physically and emotionally for whatever it is then  that makes a big difference." 

Nicholas Hoult in various roles. From L to R. The zombie "R" in "Warm Bodies". Beast/ Hank McCoy. The War Boy "Nux" in Mad Max: Fury Road.: 

Hoult talks about his upcoming work in "The Rebel in the Rye" when he was asked- 

"(So) You're playing J.D. Salinger for "A Rebel in the Rye" Why is entitled that-and what processes did you go through to prepare for the role since J.D. Salinger is described to be very reclusive." 

It's called "The Rebel in the Rye" (since) it's a play off his most famous novel, "Catcher in the Rye" but also he was a very rebellious character. He got kicked out of quiet a lot of schools-his writing was very much against the phoniness of the world he saw around him and that's what lit the fire within him for him to go out and write about what he felt would prove his depictions of the world and the characters he saw around him. That's why its called "Rebel in the Rye"  in terms of preparation it's difficult because there;s no video or audio of him that exist that we could find. 

Nicholas Hoult and Kevin Space on the set of "Rebel in the Rye" 

So it was a lot of reading biographies about him, reading his novels alongside those biographies. A lot of his work is quiet autobiographical, his writing even though they are fictional, they kind of stem back to his life and then basing the decision (on how) to play him around that. Luckily, Danny (Strong) -the writer wrote a brilliant script that was very tight and I have wonderful actors to work with, so that obviously makes it a lot easier, aside from that in an emotional level I would like to sit at home on a typewriter writing stories, just to try and understand what that felt like as well. 

During the convention, Hoult met with his fans in autograph, photograph and meet and greet sessions. He even ended his "In Conversation" session with an epic Mexian wave. He will be staying in the country after APCC to check out the beaches in Palawan with his "Skins"co-star and friend Joe Dempsie, who is also a guest for AsiaPop Comicon. 

Click here for more photos of Nicholas Hoult during APCC. 

Click here for more posts on AsiaPOP Comicon on the blog. 

Events: APCC Concludes + Day 3 Post + Photos

"Game of Thrones" Joe Dempsie with a fan during his "Meet and Greet Session". 

Unlike my first two posts for APCC which was uploaded right after Day 1 and Day 2, the post and photos for the last day came in late. For specifically four days later. It seems that the fatigue of the three day event finally caught up with us. As I am writing this, the luggage we used for our Microtel stay for APCC is still on the floor and has not been put away yet. I guess our daily routine post APCC hasn't come back yet. We spent the entire Monday following APCC sleeping as we were transitioning back to the night shift, unlike most people, we had work on Monday evening and needless to say I had to battle a nasty bout of a headache. :( Tuesday, we took care of some personal matters, I went to an Advanced screening and needless to say that means deducting about four hours of sleep, which I could have spent writing this. It's now Thursday morning and it's a good thing that the movie I saw last night Morgan will still come out next week, so I don't have to write my review yet and I can finally work on these. 

As I said the fatigue of the past two days finally caught up with Paul and me, you see when we would go back to our hotel room after each day we would not dive under the covers and sleep but immediately work on photos and write ups, hence the immediate posting of Days 1 and 2. I guess by the time Day 3 came, we were just tired. I don't know how the other cosplayers do it, maybe next year an energy drink can sponsor. It would really do good for those like ourselves who work on covering the event.

Unfortunately, Paul and I were not able (yet again) to join the special Marvel panel APCC was offering. I missed the line of the instructions which said that you should check in at F5 by 12:00 noon, maybe third time is the charm next year eh?

I guess this is what pissed Paul off, not being able to part of "Hall M" but having to lug the cameras up and down, since we decided to leave our recording devices in the car for Hall M only to get them again, since we were not attending said Hall M. So going up and down SMX with cameras and a laptop in tow kind of put Paul off and I don't blame him. Mental note to read all instructions carefully next year. Sigh.

On the third day, we also sort of became on-call photographers for the organizers, which explains why we have photos from Joe Dempsie's "Meet and Greet Session" which is the upside, the downside of which was not being able where we wanted to go. Paul was just itching to take photos of cosplayers but was not able to fully do so. I also kind of feel bad not being able to cover CAGE, especially since our acquaintance Fred Viñas won. I also wanted to take photos of the "Fight Saber Philippines" show.

I'm just glad that we ended the day and in retrospect the event on a high note and that was spending time with our FlipGeeks team. We needed the laughs and the jokes to lighten up our moods. So I guess at the end of it all, despite the tiring APCC coverage it's a good thing that we have a tight knit support group who knows what we go through. The physical and mental struggles we go through just to pursue our passion.

I got to see Millie Bobby Brown, I was able to ask Nicholas Hoult and Joe Dempsie a question, saw friends and witnessed pop culture come alive. This is definitely one for the books!

I can't wait for next year! Will make sure to pack Enervon, energy drinks and if we could afford it go on a leave the day after the event as well.

Click HERE for MORE Photos! 

Events: Things Heat Up for "Asia Pop Comicon" + Day 1 + Photos

Join the dark side. A cute little trooper gets a special invite. 

It's 3:00 in the morning. I got out of bed after being awake from more than 24 hours. I only need about 5 hours of sleep and I'm good to go but aside from feeling the body ache, which is still there, I'm just bursting with excitement. Day 1 of the biggest  pop culture event in Asia ended a few hours ago and while there were so many things to see and do I am overwhelmed with anticipation with what is to take place a few hours from now.

But before I get carried away (yet again) let's take a look at what we saw during Day 1 + Photos!

We could not get over this cute little storm trooper when he saw the his heroes from the Philippine Garrison. The Philippine Garrison is a unit of the 501st Legion, which is an international organization of Star Wars fans, dedicated to wearing the costumes of characters from the Star Wars franchise. The 501st is devoted to raising funds for children's charities all over the world.

The little guy needed some coaching to join "the dark side" as he posed with the different villains from Star Wars. He was shy at first but eventually overcame his fear to join guys in, bigger versions of his costume. Perks of being one of the few kid cosplayers on the first day.

American comic book illustrator Mike Zeck, meets Filipino fans. His work includes Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars in 1984 and his design for a black and white Spider-Man costume eventually led to the creation of the villain Venom.

Zeck has been coming to the Philippines since 1991, he said that he loves the beaches and the people. Just remove some cars on the road though, he added, during the Asia Pop Comicon press conference, which was held at the Conrad Hotel last Wednesday, August 24. Click here for photos and blog post on the Press Conference!

Fans have been anticipating to join the highly coveted "Hall M" which will feature never-before-seen footage outside of San Diego Comic Con of Marvel's upcoming "Doctor Strange" film. They will also showcase content from Marvel's television and web series. Hall M is limited to 1,000 attendees, which makes the tags highly valuable.

The first batch of fans, get their hands on the highly coveted "Hall M" passes. 

We were really impressed with this White Walker cosplayer who got his make up done at the The Australian College of Hair and Design Manila, which is one of the exhibitors at APCC.

Paul also got to skate for a while, which was a treat since he used to skate back in the day.

There is definitely a lot of activities already going on for Day 1 of AsiaPop Comic con, Day 2 will definitely have more happening! Follow the page and our social media accounts for more updates! 

Click HERE for MORE Photos! 

TV + Events: Stranger Things' Millie Bobby Brown Heads to Manila for APCC 2016!

The boys from "Stranger Things". 

I haven't written about a TV Series in some time, surprisingly movies can be very demanding. There is more than one new movie release in a week and that means one advanced screening in a week (at least) and with work, catching up on sleep and keeping sane that can eat up a lot of your time. I don't how my other colleagues do it. 

So even if I may be the first to get to see movies (ever so grateful) that may not be the case for TV series, especially the ones you need to download or stream in order to see. You see, we have a very unreliable ISP which is funny considering all we do online. So whenever a TV series is out that needs downloading I would have to seek out my suppliers (people in the office, or even my cousin) to get my dose...err..supply. So while the whole world was already going crazy over Netflix's "Stranger Things" I had to patiently bid my time to get my hands on it. 

So, in one rainy August weekend I was finally (all snuggled up in the bed, dressed in sweat pants) ready to binge watch the series, everyone has been raving about.

"Stranger Things" is the good kind of science fiction, borrowing elements from Stephen King's "Dreamcatcher", Steven Spielberg's "E.T." and "Stand By Me". 

The series brings you to a small town in Indiana when a boy disappears (after playing Dungeons and Dragons - for ten hours!) under mysterious circumstances. The series hits all the elements that make a great story right on the head! You will come to care for the well written characters, and the narrative will reel you wright in after just a few minutes of the first episode.

The series definitely brings in the 1980's nostalgia, from the music, the fonts and all the tiny details that you will surely appreciate once you spot them on. There are also many references that will make your geek heart flutter.

Millie Bobby Brown as 'Eleven' in the Netflix hit "Stranger Things". 

The series has been the surprise obsession of 2016 with critics and fans praising the eight episode science fiction, thriller. Aside from the King-Spielberg-Guillermo nods the series has also become well loved due to its fresh cast of children. One of them, the scene stealing, badass Eleven, played by Millie Bobby Brown. 

Ever since her break out role as Eleven there have been numerous fan art, tattoos, painted murals of the shaven ,Eggo-loving, psychokinetic.

The Spanish-born, British actress has since then been the object of affection for fans all over the world, being invited to conventions left and right. She will soon make her way to Manila as part of Asia Pop Comicon and fans are excited!

Aside from being the darling of the internet and of science fiction fans, Millie also boxes and sings! She recently released the video of when she shaved her long brown locks for the role of Eleven and I must say that she's a real trooper! I've watched models twice her age cry like a baby on America's / Asia's Next Top Model but Millie took it all in stride! 

It gas also been reported that Millie has been getting a number of roles and offers, in what role would you like to see her in next?

Do you have any questions for Millie? Send them over and maybe we can ask her!

Millie Bobby Brown.

Events: Nicholas Hoult No Longer About A Boy But A Man of His Own

(L) Nicholas Hoult in "About A Boy" in 2002. 

When the news broke that Nicholas Hoult would be headlining this year's Asia Pop Comic Con, articles online began recalling his past roles, mostly in his recent works as Hank McCoy/ Beast in the X-Men movies, the War Boy in the critically acclaimed "Mad Max: Fury Road", and as the zombie "R" in the young adult book to movie adaptation "Warm Bodies" to which he received three Teen Choice Award Nominations and won the Teen Choice Award for Choice Breakout Performance.. He also received acclaim for his performance as Tony Stonem is "Skins".

What most people may have forgotten is that Nicholas Hoult started acting at the age of seven and played the cute Marcus Brewer in "About a Boy" in 2002 and starred across Hugh Grant in the comedy drama. Hoult was nominated as Critic's Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer. 

I honestly feel "old" since I remember the movie and I think I watched it a couple of times back then. This was when Hugh Grant was starring in romantic comedies and well, Hoult was just a kid and now look at him!

Aside from starring in pop culture hits, Hoult has done voice work in video games. He voiced "Elliot" in the video game, "Fable III". Hoult has 'model' on his list of work, as he was the face of Tom Ford eyewear Spring Collection in 2010.

Nicholas Hoult for Tom Ford Eyewear in 2010. 

Aside form his multi media performances, Hoult is currently working with Christian Aid, which is the official relief and development agency of 41 British and Irish churches. 

Hoult also works closely with the Teenage Cancer Trust. He has also been known to support the "Enough Food IF campaign", which aims to end global hunger. 

There is much buzz that this Hollywood headliner is on his way to our shores for Asia Pop Comicon. It just goes to show how much of the convention circuit has grown in the Philippines. 

We're excited to see Nicholas Hoult this weekend! Do you have any questions for him? Send them over and we just might get the chance to ask them for you! 

#apccph2016 

Be happy. Love Your Life Now.

Quick Dip in the Sofitel Pool :) 

Life is never easy, there are always challenges, struggles and trials but sometimes all we need is a positive perspective and a little luck to help us be happy and love our life.

Lifestyle TV has this beautiful campaign about loving your life now and with all the negative energy and bad news going around we definitely need this touch of optimism in our lives. 

I saw online that they were having a Love Your Life contest, mechanics were to simply cut out paper hearts and have a photo taken of holding this up against something that makes you love your life now. 

It was very simple and had such a positive outlook that Paul and I jumped at the challenge. From the different things that we love in life we decided to feature photography/photos. We took some printed photos we had, an old Minolta film camera and an old film and set them up on a piece of wood which was actually cut from one of the trees in the house. We cut paper hearts and scattered them on our set up and had one hand (mine) hold one paper heart. It was fun working on the styling and the shoot and doing the write up for the piece. 

This was our entry in the contest :) 

With a little hard work and a little luck we won an overnight stay for two at Sofitel Manila with breakfast and Statement Tees! 

We were so lucky and winning the hotel stay came right in time for our 10th anniversary (as a couple) and Asia Pop Comiccon (will be posting more on that soon!) which was held at World Trade Center -just across Sofitel! Talk about great timing and coincidence right?! 

Sofitel was just so beautiful and luxurious it was so easy Love Your Life! We were working hard covering APCC and we got to go home to what was literally a stone's throw away and it wasn't just any home but a room in Sofitel! We had only won a Superior Room but we were upgraded to a Luxury Suite! After a long day covering the event we got to rest, in the best way possible. 

The next morning we enjoyed the Manila Bay view, swam a bit in the pool (which my Grand Uncle designed by the way) and had a hearty breakfast. After relaxing for a bit it was time to Check Out and go back to covering Day 3 of Asia Pop Comiccon. 

It was an unconventional way of celebrating an Anniversary but Paul and I are very passionate about what we do and getting the chance to take photos, cover events and write makes us love our life! 

Thank you to Lifestyle TV and Sofitel! It was a great misadventure! 

#LoveYourLifeNow ❤️❤️❤️

Click Here for MORE photos! 

Filbar's brings exclusive Toy Collectibles for Asia Pop Comic ConManila 2015

It's not a convention without mouth-watering toy collectibles and Filbar's-the country's one stop shop for all pop-culture needs is sure to bring it's A game to Asia Pop Comic Con Manila 2015 on September 17-20, 2015 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City. 

The Hot Toys Booth, powered by Filbar’s or Booth K#19, will delight action figures hobbyists with four Hot Toys 2015 Toy Fair Exclusives—the Iron Man Mark XXIV Tank, Maria Hill, Luke Skywalker (Stormtrooper Disguise Version), and Metal Gear’s Raiden (Inferno Armor Version). Special Edition Hot Toys based on Marvel and Star Wars properties are also available for preorder in limited quantities during the event.

Known for its realistic diecast figures, Hot Toys fittingly found its Philippine distributor, Filbar’s, in showcasing its detailed and high quality products. It previously partnered with Filbar’s for its “Avengers: Age of Ultron” exhibition last May.

Exclusive Filbar’s products available at Asia Pop Comicon Manila 2015 include:

Hot Toys

Iron Man Mark XXIV Tank

Expand your House Party Protocol and add this Iron Man armor to your collection. This Heavy Combat Suit features metallic brown and gold-colored armor, Unibeam and thruster effects accessories, LED light-up functions, a dynamic figure stand, and Mark IX and Mark XXVII (Disco) mini collectible figures that are perfect for recreating the iconic Iron Man 3  poster where the House Party Protocol Suits are flying into action. Php14,000

Maria Hill

A great addition to your Avengers: Age of Ultron collection, this movie-accurate collectible is specially crafted based on the image of Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill in the film featuring a newly developed head sculpt, finely tailored outfit, weapon and accessories. Php 10,500.

Luke Skywalker (Stormtrooper Disguise Version)

Based on Luke Skywalker’s disguise in Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope,  this features a newly painted head sculpt, finely tailored Stormtrooper armor, an interchangeable Stormtrooper helmet with mechanically detailed interior, weapons and accessories, and a figure stand. Php11,000

Metal Gear’s Raiden (Inferno Armor Version)

From “Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance,” this figure comes with a highly detailed head sculpt, specially applied metallic red and gold colored armor, meticulously constructed body, a high-frequency blade, a HF Murasama with sheath, an assault rifle, a newly designed visor with digital pattern, and figure stand. Php14,000

Beast Kingdom

Floating Iron Man Mark III 

Shellhead is a flashy, new updated color variant of Beast Kingdom's Floating Iron Man Mark III featuring red and chrome markings. The statue includes an arc reactor base, with Iron Man floating above it in a flying pose. Php 8,500

Star Wars Egg Attack Action Darth Vader

This six-inch limited edition Beast Kingdom rendition of the iconic villain is constructed with compound materials and painted with expert techniques that perfectly capture the texture of Darth Vader's armor and clothing. It also features a light-up LED lightsaber and life-supporting device on the chest.Php 5,500

Funko

Science Bros 

Set of 2: Iron Man Unmasked and Glow-in-the-Dark Hulk

If you love the friendship between Iron Man and the Hulk on screen then you should grab the Science Bros set. This includes two Filbar’s Philippine Exclusives Iron Man Unmasked and Glow in the Dark Hulk.Php 1,600

Keep updated for more surprises from Filbar’s on Facebook (www.facebook.com/filbarsonline) and follow us on Instagram and Twitter (@filbarsonline). Join the conversation using the hashtag, #FilbarsAPCC.

About Filbar’s

Filbar’s, the country’s premier store for pop culture goodness since 1979, carries toys, comics, magazines, and young adult novels from both local and international publishers. Filbar’s is an official Philippine retailer of Hot Toys, Diamond Comic Distributors, Marvel, The Wand Company Ltd., Dark Horse Comics, RubberToe Replicas, Beast Kingdom, Funko, Wizards of the Coast, infoThink, Star Ace and Badali Jewelry.  Under the management of Collecticons, Inc., Filbar’s now operates seven major stores and three magazine stands in malls across Metro Manila.